The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-08-25
ABOUT FARMING.
SPEECH OF Mr.. JAMES II. EN-
MISS AT MT. HOLLY.
Some Practical Talk from a Practical
Man that Farmers Would do well to
Consider.
Wilmington Star.I

|
Our friend James II. Enniss, Esq,
editor of the North Carolina Farmer,
and a man of ideas and convictions,
delivered an agricultural address at the
Mt Holly Encampment. We have
! received copy. The subject dis
cussed was the " importance of Econ
omy on the Farm Mr.. Enniss for
more than twelve years has been con-
Quoting an agricultural monthly. His
range of reading in that department is
wide. His actual experience as a
farmer is also considerable. But 0b-
serOahon is often an excellent teacher
and many man with open eyes sees
better where the " leaks" are than the
man who holds the quart measure to
the spigot. Some persons "'pooh-pooh
at the idea of any mans being able to
make a good suggestion to a farmer
unless he too is a tiller of the soil.
Some of the very best farmers we
have known, were in certain sense
amateur farmers. We heard an old,
gray headed farmer of sound under
standing, say once that If he had
known twenty-five years earlier the
methods of the leading merchant near
him who ran two farms, but who be-
gan this after middle age, that he, the
farmer, would be worth twice as much
that day as he was. We had no doubt
he spoke truly, for that merchant soon
showed himself to be the best practical
farmer in the county. 1t was he who
taught the farmers how to raise the
r grasses, have the fattest hogs and
, horses, and to enrich their farms. We
knew him to purchase three or four
, hundred acres of land that were poor
and had in parts been badly worn by
Indifferent cultivation by a professional
q farmer. This land whould not have
Q produced more than three barrels an
acre. In five years it grew on the
g hiils-in fact anywhere-corn thai
q averaged ten barrels to the acre ano
. measured. There was never an ounce
: of any fertilizer put upon it, except
stable and hogpen and cowpen manures
We instance this to show that many a
thorough business man can see fault:
IN farming that the farmers themselves
as a class, do not see. Mr.. Ennis:
it might be the best of teachers although
d he had never run row or even drop
n ped corn in his boyhood. But he ha:
5. had really much experience on the
s farm.
e 1t does not require that man should
:. have spent his life on farm to SCI
e some things with a clear vision tina
l. are lnexcusable and that betray th'
l. worst of methods, if not positive neg
e lect. Why should man have to be
IS farmer to know that poor fences, tree
St and bushes growing in the locks of tn
st fences, lean stock, razor-back hogs
W cultivating land that will not produc
n more than third Of bale OF cotto
n to the acre or three barrels of corn
er using foreign manures and neglectin
d home manures, mortgaging farm:
l. mortgaging crops, buying supplies tha
lg ought to be raised at home at fror
- twelve to thirty per cent. .ab00e cas-
of prices, run down wagons and cart
ly cows that give no milk, and failur
lg to diversity crops will in the end invi,
I'd poverty and failure? These thin:
he Show waste, incompetence, idlene
ly and neglect. To show that they al
us ruinous need not require a scientif
a or practical knowledge of farmin
it A small amount of saving commo
a sense is ell that is required.
,rs Mr.. Enniss shows what sort of IA
mers there are. He copies from
recent letter from farmer. He say
10 "To be candid, the farmers in Il
or section are not appreciatlve or progr'
en- sive, the great trouble with most of O
ore Southern farmers is Incidence, dow
right laziness. Our wealthy men lea
the farm to a negro, or what may
ed worse, an ignorant white man W
Ia knows it all, and boasts that he d.
the things just as his grand father d
up = On the other hand, most of
. poor ones are too lazy and worthl
to make any Roadway, and if you Fl
'ne one who has desire to improve
ch condition, like as not, he is indeb
que to some rich man and he has
any enough grit to pull out Of old ruts,
Il d his creditors might say 'better !
what YOU oge me before YOU 90 j
ras fancy farming"
;, Mr.. Enniss then tells of 3noi
ling ~. =,
ing but cotton. 4 few days ago
saw him come to town and sell
ner- chickens for one dollar, 75 cent
und which he used to purchase bushe
Give corn. He took his horse from
field, and lost his horses work
his own work for the better part OF
no., day. At this time Of the year
sen horses work is worth si.oo per I
= f1 .I.a r,autc .vcrk rerfatnly uof